This product presents statistical standards for the five core labour force variables:

Labour Force Status;

Status in Employment;

Hours Worked;

Full-time/part-time Status; and,

Duration of Job Search (formerly Duration of Unemployment).

These variables are commonly used in a range of social and labour statistical collections. The standards are part of a series of statistical standards that the ABS is developing for the collection, processing and dissemination of variables in social, labour and demographic statistics.

This reference document describes the five core labour force variables and their associated conceptual issues and definitions. The standard for each variable includes the concept(s), definition(s), classification, coding structure, questionnaire modules and output categories used in ABS interviewer-based and self-enumerated collections.

It is hoped the publication of these standards will encourage government, academic and private sector organisations to consider implementing the standards in their own statistical collections. This would improve the comparability of data from these collections.

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